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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cue — a signal
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com